Michael Frater has revealed what ails modern Jamaican sprint athletes, having not won gold medal at a major athletics championship since Usain Bolt’s heroics at the 2016 Olympic games.
Jamaican sprint icon Michael Frater has opened up about the issues plaguing modern male sprinters in Jamaica, attributing their underwhelming performances to a lack of discipline and inflated egos.
The 2005 World Championships silver medalist and Olympic relay gold medalist didn’t hold back as he assessed the reasons behind the country’s decline in male sprint dominance.
Jamaica endured a seven-year medal drought at major championships in men’s sprinting, a streak that began in 2017 after Usain Bolt’s bronze medal finish in the 100m final at the World Championships, a race won by Justin Gatlin.
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Unlike modern athletes who get so many incentives even when they do not win any medals, sprinters during Maurice Greene’s era only received medals and nothing else for their efforts.
The dry spell was finally broken in 2024 when Ackeem Blake and Kishane Thompson secured bronze and silver at the World Indoor Championships (60m) and the 100m final of the Paris Olympics, respectively.
Another star athlete Oblique Seville has yet to deliver medals at any major athletic event, finishing fourth at the 2020 Olympics, as well as the world championships in 2022 and 2023.
He did make the final of the Paris Olympic games, but finished dead last in eighth.
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American sprint legend Maurice Greene remains steadfast on his stance over modern sprinters, believing they have it so much ‘easier’ chances to dominate sprinting nowadays compared to his era.
Frater: Everyone is a diva
Speaking on The Powells, a YouTube channel run by fellow Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell back in 2023, Frater criticized the mentality of modern Jamaican athletes.
“We went through that era without egos. Everybody nowadays is a diva. Most of them have not done anything, and they think they are superstars,” Frater remarked.
The sprinter, who is also the third vice-president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), emphasized that modern athletes need a reality check.
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Asafa Powell has heaped praise on modern athletes like Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley for respecting his generation of athletes, while aiming digs at older generation athletes.
“These athletes need to take a backseat and realize that they really have not done anything to be the way they are. What we did set a platform where they expect Jamaicans to be a certain way, but these guys need to be disciplined and actually do something.”
A call for financial discipline among athletes
Frater also highlighted the importance of financial literacy for athletes, reflecting on his own experiences as a young sprinter.
“I’m going to tell you the truth. If you shouldn’t be doing something, I’ll tell you, ‘don’t do that,’” Frater stated.
He recounted his love for luxury cars, a passion shared with Asafa Powell, and how he often overspent on vehicles he didn’t need due to poor advice from others.
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Kishane Thompson recently kicked of his season with an electrifying showing in the 60m, but where does his time rank among Jamaica’s fastest men over the distance?
“Asafa likes cars, we both do, and sometimes we would overindulge in those activities. But you will have other people telling you, ‘just buy them.’ You need to take control of yourself and not listen to everybody. Not all advice is good advice.”
Frater’s comments offer a sobering reflection on the mindset and preparation required to succeed at the highest levels of sprinting. His critique serves as a reminder of the discipline and humility that fueled Jamaica’s golden era in track and field.
With young talents like Blake and Thompson showing promise, there’s hope that a renewed focus on discipline, humility, and financial wisdom can help restore Jamaica’s male sprinting prowess on the global stage. For now, Frater’s words stand as both a warning and a challenge to the next generation of athletes.
